In recent years, Ai (Autopsy Imaging) has been adopted as a technique for ascertaining the causes of death of people. Ai is a procedure that diagnoses abnormalities such as a lesion and a wound that appeared while alive using post-mortal images taken by CT (Computed tomography) and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to ascertain the cause of death.
Recently, since CT and MRI techniques have allowed fast image taking, it is recommended that an image of a whole body is taken in Ai by CT or MRI in order to ascertain the more accurate cause of death. Such imaging typically takes only about a few to a dozen or so minutes. However, because the number of resultant slice images of a whole body is a few thousand, which is enormous, it is considerably difficult for a radiologist to judge the cause of death from the images. In addition, it takes some time to display an enormous number of such images on a monitor.
In recent years, CAD (Computer-aided Detection/Diagnosis) has been put into practical use. CAD aids doctors in making diagnoses by detecting abnormal image areas (hereinafter, referred to as the abnormal areas) such as an abnormal area in an image created by a CT or an MRI apparatus. CAD is usually used for a living person. In order to diagnose a disease in a particular region such as a head, a breast, and an abdomen, CAD detects an abnormal area by using an algorithm suitable for the region on a taken image.
As mentioned above, in Ai, it is recommended to take an image of a whole body of a corpse in order to ascertain the cause of death. Therefore, the number of slice images becomes enormous, so that it is difficult for a radiologist to see all the slice images and judge the cause of death. In addition, because a corpse has characteristics which a living body does not have, a radiologist unfamiliar with image interpretation of a corpse may make an error in the determination of the cause of death.
If CAD is used for Ai, for example, CAD analyzes an enormous number of images of a whole body by using a different algorithm for each region from the head to the lower limbs in this order to detect an abnormal area. Then, CAD extracts all images including the abnormal area, thereafter presenting the images to a radiologist. In this case, it may take a considerable time, e.g., three or four days, to complete all the processes. Thus, disadvantageously, even if a radiologist desires to see only a part of a corpse, the radiologist needs to wait for the processing of a whole body to be completed.
Further, a corpse that underwent resuscitation before death may have an abnormality caused by influence of the resuscitation. In addition, a post-mortem change may occur in a corpse if some time has passed since the death. It is difficult to discriminate an abnormality that led to the cause of death from such a post-mortem change and abnormalities caused by resuscitation.